Typographic keyboard machine



M. C. INDAHL TYPOGRAPHIC KEYBOARD momma Filed Aug. 16, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 HIS ATTORNEY W/////////// w W l/IA/l/ 17/1 M. c. INDAHL TYPOGRAPHIC KEYBOARD MACHINE Fi1 ed Aug. 1 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 D'ec'.' 24. 1,520,571

FIG. 2.

///5 WTTOF/VEK Dec. 23, 1924. 1,520,511

M. C. INDAHL TYPOGRAPHIC KEYBOARD MACHINE Filed Aug. 16 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet s FIG; 3-,

Dec. 3, 1924. 1,520,571

M. C. INDAHL TYP GRAPHIC KEYBOARD MACHINE Fped Au8- 16. 1922 4 e s-S eet 4 llllll XIII III III 3e WWW/70m" 6'. E3 7 Marika/# #4: Arm/v5)? Patented Dec. 23, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MAURITZ C. INDAHL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO LANSTON MONO'IYPE MACHINE COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A COR- PORATION 0F VIRGINIA TYPOGRAPHIC KEYBOARD MACHINE.

Application filed August 16, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAURITZ G. INDAHL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Typographic Keyboard Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and to the characters of reference marked thereon.

This invention relates to keyboard machines in which the depression of a key produces a signal in the form of a perforation or perforations in a continuous strip of paper, such strip being later utilized in connection with a second machine which performs mechanical operations in accordance with the signals presented by the controller strip. It relates particularly to keyboard perforating machines for typographic purposes, more especially the well-known keyboard typographic machine widely known and used as the product of Lanston Monotype Machine Co. A machine of this kind is basically disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 944,405, dated December 28, 1909 and includes keys by the depression of which valves are operated to permit air under pressure to operate motors, each valve having its own motor and each motor being connected by a system of levers with punch bars and punches operating in connection with suitable dies to produce perforations in a strip of paper fed through the machine by a ste )-by-step motion. Generally speaking the repression of any key operates two valves whereby the two corresponding motors are operated and the two punches connected therewith are also operated. The signal produced may be said to have two components, calling each perforation a component of the signal: one of these components, when the controller paper has been applied to the second machine above mentioned, for example a type casting and composing machine such as that basically disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 625,998, dated May 30, 1899, allows air under pressure in said second or casting machine to traverse a pipe and operate a gage on one side of the machine; the other signal component simi- Serial No. 582,238.

gages controlling the positioning in two direction's at right angles to each other of the matrix case of said casting machine. The signal may, therefore, be regarded as a direct signal since it controls directly the gages by which the position of the matrix case which the signal calls for is determined. Since in the commercial machine there are two hundred twenty-five anatrices in the matrix case comprising fifteen rows and fifteen columns, it follows that for positioning the case the controller strip must be sufficient in width to provide, for any one sig nal, twenty-eight possible perforation locations, it being understood that the last row and the last column of the case require noperforations because the casting machine is provided with a permanent stop or gage on one side of the machine for the last row of the case and a permanent stop or gage on the other side of the machine for the last column. A single perforation signal will therefore locate the case somewhere in the last row or the last column and a no-perforation signal will locate the case at the intersection of the last row and the last column. A justification space signal is produced in the keyboard machine in the same manner as the matrix location signals above referred to except that there is provided for one component a special punch called the space or S punch and for the other component a punch for positioning the matrix case for the casting of this space. The second component of this signal when it reaches the caster controls the matrix case to bring it to the proper row While the S component or perforation operates a special motor and associated mechanism for causing the cast to be made with the aid of the normal wedge of the machine in combination with the justification wedges of which there are two.

The justification signal is double in that it requires the depression of two justification keys as indicated by the justification scale or drum. The signal produced by the first justification key is composed of two components, one of which operates mechanism in the caster to pick out one of the two justification wedges and the other of which indicates the position to which the matrix case is to be moved, and, since the selected justification wedge is operated by the matrix case this second component of the first justification signal causes the proper positioning of the selected justification wedge, The second justification signal operates with two components exactly'as the first and causes the positioning of the second justification wedge.

It will be seen that all of the signals whether they are for type positioning or justification or space indications are direct in that they produce direct results in the casting machine. Moreover, both components of a type signal and one component of each space signal and of each justification signal. are locational.

\Vhile this invention relates particularly' to machines of the kind discussed, its particular purpose is, by a minimum amount of change in the construction of such machines to reduce the number of punches and corresponding perforation locations in the controller strip whereby the latter may be made considerably narrower. Its object is furthermore to reducethe paper area by altering only the paper tower of the keyboard machine whereby keyboards already in use maybe readily converted into paper-saving keyboards by the exchange of the paper tower ora comparatively simple reconstruction thereof. A further object is to produce such result without affecting other functions and operations of the machine, notably :its touch or feel to the operator. A further "object of the 'inventionis to convert the direct signals of the usual keyboard into signals of a different kind or nature, namely, combination or additive signals in which each perforation does not represent a definite gage to; determine location, but indL cates a definite value to which the values of theother' perforations in the signal are to be added in order to' arrive-at the representation of the signal as' a whole. The casting machinewhich receives these signals is provided with mechanismcomprising ele ments each-of 'whichresponds to a par ticular perforation. and adds its value in mechanical effect to the values'of the meeh anisms operated by the other perforations of the signal. In this way, a combination signal'may be produced by a single perforation so far as matrix case movement in. one direction is concerned, or bytwo, three or more perforations. A further object is to produce a structure in which character designating keys are related to two groups of punches each group comprising four punches capable otrecording the, designations of fifteen characters, the two groups consist- .ingof eight punches capable of recording ,the designations of two hundred twenty five characters. One group of punches will thus represent a row location in the matrix case of the casting machine, and the other group a column location thereof. Furthen objects will be hereinafter pointed out or WillfOtl'lBT- wise appear in connection with the following description of the mechanism embodying the invention as shown in the accompanying drawings, in Wl1iCl1j- Fig. 1 is a vertical cross section of a portion of a keyboard machine embodying the present invention.

F ig. 2 is a frontelevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic representation of the motor actuated bars,'the conversion levers and the punch bars and punches.

- Fig. 4 is a cross section on approximately line 44 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is across section on line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a cross section on approximately line 66 of Fig. 1. j i Fig. 7 is a cross section onapproximately line 7-7 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 8 is a cross section on, approximately line 88 of Fig. 1.

The keyboard machine illustrated corresponds with the modern, commercial 1naapproximately chine represented in general by Patent 944;

.1.15 previously referred to. It is not neces- 'sary to give herein a detailed description ofthe construction or operation otthis machine; it will be sufficient to refer generall to those parts. which are illustrated, particularly those parts which co op'erate with, or are moreintimately related to the mecha nism forming the subject of-the present invention; for example, the keys 10, key bars 11, valve bars 12 and valves 13, said valves when operated by key depressions allowing air under pressure to traverse pipes 14; leading to pneumatic motors 15 the latter, being coupled with levers 16 to which the paper strip perforating punches are operatively connected. Bars 17 are pivotally connected to the levers 16 and correspond with the normal punch bars of the keyboard machine; throughlevers 18 connected with cer; tain of. the normal punch bars l7,'and corresponding stop bars 19 and steps 20, the operation of one of such bars 17 will throw up. a definite-stop forming a partgofuthe measuring mechanismof the machine; the measuring mechanismincludes also the line rack 21, unitswheel 22, imits rack 23 and units wheel pawl'24c; the justification scale or drum is represented by 25and ,its springand-weight operating mechanism by the character 26; the bell 27 for signaling the approach toward the end of the lineof composition and the counting device 28 for indicating the number-of lines of composition are also illustrated, in Fig. 2, as. well as the rod 29 fonoperatingthe paper feed mechanism 30 and the paper winding mechanism 31." s

wThe normal punch bars ,17 consist of a series in number, and each bar is operatively connected through a lever 16 to its corresponding motor 15. The normal bars designated 1 to 14 (Fig. indicatev row locations for positioning the matrix case. The bars designated A to N similarly in dicate columns of the matrix case. The end bars 15 and 0 do not carry punches in the normal machine but are merely used so that their motors 15 will overcome the resistance of restoring motor 33 (Fig. 1) coupled with universal bar 32, the latter having a portion engaged by each bar 17 to turn the universal bar against the resistance of its motor 33. This motor 33 is of the same dimension as the motors 15, but with each key struck, two motors 15 are operated and two bars 17 are driven upwardly to turn the universal bar 32. There is also a bar 17 designated .0005 (Fig. 3) and another designated .0075; these bars indicating justification. and a third designated S indicating a justified space. The bars 1 to 15 inclusive, and the bar S are coupled by levers 18, previously referred to, to the appropriate stops 2-0 of the measuring mechanism. The designations given the normal bars 17 correspond to the designations given the said bars in the known standard machine, but in the adaptation of this invention they do not, with the exception of the .0005 bar, carry punches, but do serve as the means whereby the operation of punches may be controlled or effected in certain groups or permutations hereinafter pointed out.

According to the present invention the paper tower within which the bars 17 are housed and which supports the paper feed and associated mechanism, is provided with upright plates 34 in which are pivoted converting levers consisting of a vertical series of long, rear levers 35 and a vertical series of short, front levers 36. The rear levers are pivoted in the outside plates 3% and the front levers in the right-hand plate 34 (Fig. 2) and the intermediate plate 34. These levers are each in the form of pivoted shafts having radially extending arms 35 connected by a lug engaging rod 36, the arms of the front series extending rearwardly and the arms of the rear series extending forwardly so that the lug engaging rods 36 are located close to and along side of the vertically extending series of motor driven bars 1'7. These bars 17 are. in accordance with this invention, selectively provided with laterally extending lugs 37; the numbered bars 1 to 14 having these lugs extending forwardly to engage with the under surfaces of the rods 36' of the front converting levers 36 and the lettered bars A to N having these lugs 37 extending rearwardly to engage with the rods 36 of the rear converting levers 35. The bar designated 15 as well as the bar designated 0 are not provided with lugs. The bar designated .0005 is also without lugs, but is provided with a punch so that this bar operates directly to punch the paper. The bar .0075 is provided with a forward lug 37 to engage with the lug engaging rod 36 of the lowermost front converting lever 36. The rod designated S is provided with a rearward lug 37 to engage with the lowermost rear converting lever 35.

Extending vertically between the rods and shafts of the converting levers are a front series of punch bars 38 and a rear series 39. These punch bars are each provided with. a single lug 10 for engaging with the upper surface of one of the rods 36 of the converting levers and 36, whereby each bar is operated from its corresponding converting lever. The punch bars have approaching offsets at the top so that their upper ends 41 extend upwardly directly above the bars 17, the ends ll of the two series 38 and 39 alternating and all the punch bar ends being provided with punches 4L2 co-operating with corresponding dies 43 to punch the paper controlled by the feeding mechanism 30 in the usual manner. The converting members or levers, it will be seen, are intermediate the bars 17 and the punches 4:2.

From an inspection particularly of Fig. 3 it will be seen that when a normal punch bar 17 is moved upwardly by its motor 15 the lug or lugs 37 on the bar will engage with a rod or rods 36 of the converting levers so as to tilt these levers on their shafts. The

upward tilt of a lever will. cause the upper 1 surface of the bar 36 thereof to engage with a lug 10 on a punch bar and will cause the corresponding punch 42 to move upwardly and co-operating with its die 43 punch a perforation in the paper which, it will be assumed, is associated in the usual manner with the paper feeding mechanism 30. It is not necessary to describe the operation of all. of the bars and levers because such operation is clearly indicated in Fig. 3. A few examples will be given, however, to illustrate the converting function of the new construction. If it be assumed that a key is depressed which will cause two bars 37, for example, the bar K and the bar 13 to be driven upwardly it will be seen that instead of causing directly two perforations from these bars the bar K through its three lugs 37 will operate the three rear converting levers. the values of which are indicated as 8, 2 and 1, and these levers through the lugs 10 on the punch bars 39 will operate punches 42 which are indicated as having the values 8, 2 and 1; similarly the bar 13 with its three lugs 37 will operate the three front converting levers 36. the values of which are indicated as 8, 4 and 1, these levers operating. through lugs 40 on the punch bars 38. the punches 42, the values of which are indicated as 8, i and 1. The result of this particular key depression is the perforating ill) of six holes, three holes belonging to the punch bar series 39 and their value being 8 plus 2 plus 1 or 11, and three being of the punch bar series. 38, and their value being 8 plus 4:- plus 1 or 13. These perforation groups indicate. that the matrix case is to be located in the eleventh column and thirteenth row, the signals being indirect and converted from the direct signal to the additive or combination signal. Other examples may be taken to show-that in some cases a single punch in each group is operated or two punches or three punches. Since the punches have values 1, 2, 4- and 8 in each group it will be seen that by taking any one of these values singly or adding one, two or three of these values together selectively, any row or any column can be obtained from 1 to 14 the lugs 37 on the bars 17 being selectively disposed to produce these additive combinations. If a justification key is operated so as to elevate the normal punch bar 17 which is designated .0005 as well as a locational normal punch bar, the .0005 bar will perforate directly as usual and the locational punch bar will operate through converting levers to produce a combination signal for locating the matrix case. If the justification baradesignated -0075 is elevated it will, as shown in Fig. 3, tilt the converting bar designated .007 5 and through it will operate the punch designated .0075. If a space bar or key is depressed the normal bar 17 which is designated S, together with a locational bar 17 will be elevated, the former through its lug 37 operating the converting lever designated S and through it the punch designated S: while the locational bar will operate through converting levers to produce a combination signal for location. The various signals whether for justification or space or character, it will be noted, are combination signals since each key depressed produces a signal for the location of the matrix case, and this signal in each case is aficombination signal in contradistinction to the direct signal ordinarily produced. 111- asmuch as combination signals are availed of the number of punches is reduced from 31 to 11, and since these punches are grouped at the normal distance apart the width of paper is correspondingly reduced as is particularly shown in Fig. 2; this results in considerable reduction of paper cost. The operating of the keyboard is exactly the same up to the normal punch bars 17, and therefore, the touch or feel of the machine is not affected even though in some cases a single perforation is made. and in other cases a triple perforation is made. Since the alteration to the keyboard is in the paper tower thereof it will be seen that keyboards already in use may be converted into paper saving keyboards by the exchange of the paper tower or a comparatively simple reconstruction thereof. It will also be observed that the character designating keys are so related to the punches that four punches are capable of recording the? designation of fife teen characters, it being also noted that when there is no perforation in the paper a sixteenth character. may be provided for because of the provision in the casting machine of a permanent gage in accordance with which the matrix case is positioned when a portion of the controller strip is presented in which there is no perforation. The lack-of a perforation is in effect a signal, and the four punches are thus capable. of indicating sixteen characters. The four punches produce a component of the signal and the remaining four punches constitute a second component so that eight punches are capable of recording the designations'of two hundred twenty five characters, or actually two hundred fifty six characters when the blank signal of the paper is taken into account. Each component of the signal, or each group of punches represents, by combination signals, or single punch signals, or blank signals in each group, .a matrix case row or column location, one group representing ro-w locations and the other group representing column locations.

I claim:

1. A keyboard perforating machine comprising a series of bars operated by the depression of keys, said bars being provided selectively with laterally extending lugs, a series of punch bars each provided with a laterally extending lug, punches secured to said punch bars, and convertinglevers provided with rods, positioned to be selectively tilted by the lugs of the first mentioned bars to thereby operate the punch bars and punches by engagement with the lugs of'the punch bars.

2. In a keyboard composing machine provided with normal punch bars pneumatically operated directly from the depression of keys and in combination therewith punch bars and punches secured thereto, a converting lever for each punch bar for operating the same, and selectively positioned lugs on the normal punch bars for operating converting levers to actuate a combination of punches from each operated normal punch bar;

3. A typographic keyboard perforating machine comprising key-controlled reciprocating bars provided with selective lugs, converting levers comprising rods with which said lugs engalge to operate the levers, punch bars, each provided with a lug for engagement with a rod of one of said levers, whereby the operation of a lever causes the operation of its corresponding punch bar, punches secured to said punch bar and dies for cooperation with said punches to perforate a controller strip.

4. A keyboard composing machine having character designating keys and punches for recording the characters designated, characterized by the provision of four punches capable of recording the designations of fifteen characters, and means whereby the keys will effect the operation of the punches singly or in combination with one or more of the others to produce the desired individual record of each character.

5. A keyboard composing machine having character designating keys and punches for recording the characters designated, characterized by the provision of eight punches capable of recording the designations of two hundred and twenty five characters, and means whereby the keys will et' feet the operation of the punches selectively singly or in combination with one or more of the others to produce the desired individual record of each character.

6. A keyboard composing machine having character designating keys and punches for recording the characters designated, characterized by the provision of two groups of .tour punches capable of recording the designations of two hundred and twenty five characters, and means whereby the keys will effect the operation of the punches of each group singly or in combination with one or more of the punches of both groups to produce the desired indi vidual record of each character.

7. A keyboard composing machine comprising character designating keys, two groups of punches for recording the characters designated, one of said groups repre senting matrix case row location and the other matrix case column location of characters, and means connecting the keys and punches to operate selectively the punches of each group in combination to produce, when a key is struck, a combination signal for the row location and a combination sig nal for the colun'm location of the character designated by the key.

8. A typographic composing machine comprising keys and punches for recording the designations of said keys characterized by the provision of four punches capable of recording fifteen designations, and means whereby the keys will effect the operation of the punches selectively singly or in combin-ation to produce the desired designations.

9. A typographic composing machine comprising keys and punches for recording the designations of said keys characterized by the provision of eight punches capable of recording two hundred and twenty five designations, and means whereby the keys will effect the operation of the punches selectively singly or in combination to pro duce the desired designations.

10. A keyboard composing machine having character designating keys and punches for recording the characters designated, characterized by the provision of four punches capable of recording the designations of fifteen characters, and means comprising keyboard actuated bars provided selectively with laterally extending lugs, a series of punch bars to which the punches are secured, each punch bar being provided with a laterally extending lug, and converting levers provided with rods positioned to be selectively tilted by the lugs ot the first mentioned bars to thereby operate the punch bars and punches by engagement with the lugs of the punch bars, said means ellceting the operation of the punches from the keys, singly or in combination with one or more oi the others to produce the desired individual record of each character.

11. A keyboard composing machine having character designating keys and punches for recording the characters designated, characterized by the provision or" eight punches capable of recording the designations of two hundred and twenty five characters, and means comprising keyboard actuated bars provided selectively with laterally extending lugs, a series of punch bars to which the punches are secured, each punch bar being provided with a laterally extending lug, and converting levers provided with rods positioned to be selectively tilted by the lugs of the first mentioned bars to thereby operate the punch bars and punches by engagement with the lugs of the punch bars, said means effecting the operation of the punches from the keys, singly or in combination with one or more of the others to produce the desired individual record of each character.

MAURIT/Z C. INDAHL. 

